Nissan to axe 200 jobs

Jobs at Nissan’s Sunderland factory have been put at risk after the car giant revealed it is planning to axe hundreds of jobs across Europe.

(Image: PA)

The company has proposed making cuts to its back office teams across Europe as part of plans to improve its “competitiveness” in the market.

It is understood that around 200 jobs across mainland Europe and the UK have been put at risk.

It is expected that a number of roles will be lost in Sunderland although Nissan has declined to confirm exactly how many roles will be impacted.

A Nissan spokesman said:

“Nissan is focused on meeting the evolving needs of its business and the expectations of its customers.

“We shared proposals with our employees and their representatives that include changes to a limited number of functions and teams. These plans are designed to drive future growth and competitiveness for Nissan.”

North EastTom Eden

Employers say Brexit will hurt their businesses

North East employers say they expect Brexit to hurt their businesses.

And there is anger that the Government is failing to listen to their concerns.

James Ramsbotham, Chief Executive of North East England Chamber of Commerce, said: “They risk missing the far larger risks associated with Brexit and sleepwalking into economic disaster.”

The Chamber published the findings of a survey of employers which found 52%, more than half, expect Brexit to have a negative impact on their business.

And Chamber bosses say concern about Brexit dominated proceedings at their annual general meeting, held on Tuesday (20th Sept 2018) at Wynyard Hall in the Tees Valley.

Speakers called in strong terms for the nation’s political leaders to heed the voice of business and provide far greater clarity to allow current economic success to continue.

John McCabe, managing director of Fusion Creative PR, who was re-elected as Chamber President at the event, said:

“The debate around Brexit continues to create more heat than light, and the only thing uniting Leavers and Remainers is their opposition to the options which are on the table.

“Through all the uncertainty, what is clear is that ‘No Deal’ is a totally unacceptable outcome for North East England’s businesses.”

21:23Tom Eden

Quayside development approved

Designs for a new office development overlooking the Tyne Bridge have been given the green light.

Adderstone Group’s plans for a two-storey office block with views of the iconic bridge and the River Tyne won the approval of Gateshead Council planning bosses on Wednesday.

Doctor 'self-medicating' with lager in car left dad with catastrophic injuries

A highly-respected doctor who left a dad with catastrophic life-changing injuries in a head-on smash after “self-medicating” with cans of lager has walked free from court.

Consultant anaesthetist Dr Julia Morch-Siddall had downed four-and-a-half cans of Stella Artois in her Land Rover Freelander as she battled a serious medical complaint and thoughts of suicide, a court heard.

The doctor, who has done work for the World Health Organisation, was spotted veering out of control on the A1, where she hit barriers and broke the speed limit.

After turning off the dual carriageway in Gateshead, a witness who had reported her to the police and followed her, tried to intervene.

The 50-year-old, looking “glazed and vacant”, ignored the man’s pleas to stop, drove off, ran a red light then careered into oncoming traffic on the A692 near Sunniside.

Coming the other way was IT consultant Wesley Hall in his VW Up. He had no chance of avoiding a horrific head-on crash and suffered multiple fractures to his feet which left him in a wheelchair for months.

He is still in agony and unable to walk properly eight months on and facing up to the likelihood of lifelong disability.

Mr Hall, 36, of North Shields, was in court as Morch-Siddall was sentenced for causing serious injury by dangerous driving and said afterwards it was “disgraceful” she was not sent to prison.

Ayoze Perez surprises kids during their PE lesson

This is the heartwarming the moment Newcastle United star Ayoze Perez surprised pupils at a primary school in the city’s West End.

The Magpies forward dropped by at Beech Hill Primary School on Tuesday to join in with a Premier League Primary Stars PE lesson involving bean bag throwing, tail tag, and of course football.

The Spanish footballer caused a stir as he joined pupils from Year 2 to Year 6 in the session designed to help children get active after the summer holidays.

Perez also donated a Premier League Primary Stars equipment pack which included footballs, giant dice and numbered and lettered floor spots, for teachers to use in lessons to inspire children to learn and be active.

He said:

“It was brilliant to visit Beech Hill Primary School today to donate their Premier League Primary Stars equipment pack.

“As a Newcastle United Foundation ambassador I love coming to see the work they do and it was great to get involved in today’s PE lesson.”

Repairs to burst water main

Repairs are ongoing to fix a burst water main in Chester-le-Street.

A Northumbrian Water spokesperson said:

“We are aware of a burst water main on Newcastle Road in Chester-le-Street and have a crew onsite. Repair work on the water main will be completed this evening and then further work will be required to repair the road surface.

“While this work is completed, there will be a full road closure on Newcastle Road from 3pm today and diversions will be in place. We anticipate this work will take two days to complete and hope to re-open the road over the weekend.

“We apologise for the inconvenience this causes and thank people for their patience while the work is completed.”

20:28Tom Eden

Threat of cuts to Newcastle, Durham and Berwick trains lifted

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has halted the contest to choose a firm to run trains on the CrossCountry line through Newcastle, Durham and Berwick.

The announcement means that proposals to cut some services have been scrapped, at least for now.

Mr Grayling said he was halting the contest after appointing Keith Williams, the former British Airways chief executive and deputy chairman of John Lewis, to lead a review into the future of the rail network.

“Due to the unique geographic nature of the Cross Country franchise, which runs from Aberdeen to Penzance and cuts across multiple parts of the railway, awarding this franchise in 2019 could impact on the review’s conclusions.

“It has therefore been decided that this competition will not proceed.”

It means the future of the franchise is uncertain. A new franchise was due to begin in December 2019 and a shortlist of bidders was to be announced this month, but current franchise holders Arriva UK will now continue running trans for the foreseeable future.

20:04Tom Eden

Shooting charges dropped despite DNA being found

Shooting charges have been dropped against a criminal who was accused of leaving a prosecution witness injured after opening fire on her home - despite shotgun cartridges with his DNA on them being found at the scene.

A woman inside a house in West Denton was left with shotgun pellets embedded in her arms and back when a gunman shot at the home.

Michael Kirton was charged with a series of offences, including possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.

The 26-year-old, who has previous convictions for possessing ammunition, denied he was the shooter.

Now prosecutors have dropped the allegations and accepted his guilty plea to possessing ammunition after two unfired cartridges were found at the scene of the shooting on Lordenshaw.

Lee Fish, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court: “During the early hours of June 1 a firearm was discharged at the home of the prosecution witness and her partner was also present.

“They were due to give evidence in relation to an allegation of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent.”

Mr Fish said that case related to a man who he said is Kirton’s cousin, although Kirton interrupted to insist he was not related to the man.

GosforthKEY EVENT

White van man 'grabbed a school pupil'

Detectives are investigating reports a man in a white van grabbed a school pupil just hours after approaching a group of children.

(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)

Parents were told by school staff at Gosforth Central Middle School to warn their children about being approached by strangers after the alarming incidents.

Northumbria Police confirmed they received reports of men in a suspicious van which is believed to have approached students near the school on Wednesday morning.

Later that day, a man driving a van is alleged to have grabbed the hand of a pupil, the force confirmed.

Investigators believe the same individuals and vehicle were involved in both incidents.

According to a message sent out by Gosforth Junior Academy, the same van was reportedly spotted in the area on Thursday.

Enquiries are ongoing and Northumbria Police have confirmed they’ve stepped up patrols in the area.

The force previously moved to reassure parents there is ‘no cause for concern’ but have since clarified that investigations are ongoing.

19:37Tom Eden

Update on railway repair work

Here’s the latest on the East Coast repairs:

Storm BronaghTom Eden

What to expect

The second named storm of the season is set to batter parts of the UK and Ireland, a day after two people were killed during Storm Ali.

The Met Office and Met Eireann have named Thursday’s intense low pressure system Storm Bronagh and warned of the possibility of a danger to life and damage to buildings.

The weather warnings come a day after a Swiss holidaymaker was killed when the caravan she was in was blown down a rocky incline in County Galway, while a worker in a forest park in County Armagh died after he was hit by a tree.

Storm Bronagh is expected to develop across parts of Wales and south-west England on Thursday evening, before spreading further eastwards across England.

Heavy rain is expected throughout Thursday, with a yellow weather warning in place for rain in Wales and parts of north-west England and a yellow wind warning in place for much of England and parts of Wales later in the day.

The storm is expected to bring gale force winds through the evening and overnight into Friday, with wind gusts of 45-50mph predicted around exposed coasts and at some spots inland, as well as the possibility of some gusts of up to 65mph.

Met Office Chief Meteorologist Paul Gundersen said:

“Although the strongest winds are expected to occur as Storm Bronagh moves offshore into the North Sea, there is a low likelihood of damaging winds in places through this evening and overnight with possible impacts to people travelling in England and Wales.

“However, the strongest winds are most likely along the north east coast of England in the early hours of the morning.”

Highways England’s head of road safety Richard Leonard said:

“We’re encouraging drivers to check the latest weather and travel conditions before setting off on journeys. If you do intend to travel, then plan your journey and take extra care, allowing more time for your journey.

“In high winds, there’s a particular risk to lorries, caravans and motorbikes so we’d advise drivers of these vehicles to slow down. Drivers of other vehicles should be aware of sudden gusts of wind which can affect handling and braking, and give high-sided vehicles, caravans and motorbikes plenty of space.”

“The RAF worked closely with NATO partners to monitor the jets as they passed through a variety of international airspace before they were intercepted by the RAF over the North Sea.

“Subsequently, our fighters escorted the Russian Blackjacks north, out of the UK’s area of interest.

“At no time did the Russian bombers enter UK sovereign airspace.

“RAF QRA was launched today because the Russian Military aircraft were not talking to air traffic agencies. The RAF routinely intercept, identify and escort Russian aircraft that transit international airspace within the UK’s area of interest and continue to be on call; 24/7, 365.”

18:32Tom Eden

Photos from a factory fire

Here are snaps of firefighters attending a fire at a South Shields factory:

Storm AliTom Eden

Power restored to 1,300 homes

Since this morning, Northern Powergrid has restored electricity for a further 1,300 customers affected by Storm Ali.

(Image: Daily Mirror)

The company responsible for the region’s power network say that their focus remains on restoring power for the 1,200 customers, predominantly in Northumberland and County Durham, who are still affected as a result of more complex network damage caused by the severe winds which hit the region yesterday.

Wind speeds during Storm Ali caused teams in some areas to be unable to access equipment at height to work safely until they had reduced to safe levels for overhead work.

In addition to helicopter network inspections across today, the electricity network operator has mobilised teams in key locations to carry out foot patrols to check its network. The inspections, which are part of the company’s significant Storm Ali restoration effort, also support Northern Powergrid’s wider preparation to ensure it is ready should Storm Bronagh affect its network.

Current Met Office forecasts indicate that Storm Bronagh will hit Northern Powergrid’s operating area across the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire from 6pm onwards today with particularly strong winds forecast for the early hours of tomorrow morning especially along coastal routes.

The electricity network is also actively tracking forecasts for strong winds and rain for Sunday.

18:10Tom Eden

Confirmation of Metro delays

HEre’s confirmation of the problems on the Metro caused by someone stopping a train at Monument:

Update on RAF jets being dispatched

She adds that the pair of Blackjack long-range bombers were not communicating with air traffic control.

BronaghTom Eden

Worst winds expected tomorrow

Although it’s set to be a wet night, the worst of the weather is forecast for tomorrow:

17:42Tom Eden

Rain for the rest of the night

A bleak forecast for the region tonight:

17:37Tom Eden

What was the Metro 'emergency'?

We’ve just heard from Nexus that the ‘emergency incident’ was someone maliciously pressing the emergency brake, forcing the train to stop at Monument.

There are delays as a result, across the whole Metro network.

A Nexus spokesman said:

“A passenger pressed the emergency brake maliciously, forcing the driver to get out, check everything was okay and reset the system.

“Trains are running, but there will be delays and a gap in service.”

17:24Tom Eden

Emergency on train at Monument station

Breaking news from Monument:

We have a reporter en route.

17:07Tom Eden

No comment from Ministry of Defence

The Ministry of Defence tell us that they won’t comment on any ongoing incidents.

NEWCASTLEKEY EVENT

RAF jets scrambled over 'Russia plan fears'

British and French jets have been scrambled from near Newcastle over fears Russian planes have entered UK airspace over the North Sea, a British source has told Sky News.

They report that an RAF Typhoon fighter jet and a supporting Airbus Voyager plane were dispatched from a base Newcastle just before 3pm.

A French fighter jet and its supporting plane were also sent to assist.

Satellite images from AirLive, which shows all aircraft in the air around the world, showed the four jets over the North Sea, although by 4.30pm they reported that the tanker was returning to its base.

Flood alerts

Watch the Rocket set off from Newcastle

Onlookers bid a fond farewell to Stephenson’s Rocket on Thursday morning as the iconic steam engine - a prime attraction of the Great Exhibition of the North - left its home city.

The Rocket, a speed record-breaker in its day, this time made slow progress as it was inched on a trailer through the doors of Discovery Museum where it has been on display during the exhibition’s 80-day run, attracting a whopping 176,000 visitors.

And the gathered spectators and museum staff, who had welcomed it back to the city where it was designed by Robert Stephenson almost 190 years ago, were clearly sorry to see it go as, under wraps to protect it on its journey south, it made it way towards a waiting truck.

The Rocket, built at the Stephenson Works in Newcastle , was considered groundbreaking in1829 when it proved the fastest locomotive on track during the famous Rainhill speed trials.

Having been housed in The Science Museum in London since 1862, it received a warm welcome on its return to Tyneside as a showpiece exhibit of the Great Exhibition which ended on the day of the Great North Run .

Carolyn Ball, Discovery Museum and archives manager, said how pleased she had been to see the amount of time its visitors had spent simply looking at the Rocket.

“It’s been hugely popular,” she said during preparations for its removal. “We’ve had 176,000 through the museum between June 22 and September 9 and I think it’s been one of the star attractions of Great Exhibition of the North.

“People have loved seeing Rocket here in Newcastle. I think those 176,000 people are sad to see it go and I’m quite sad as well.”

Ministry of JusticeTom Eden

Prison boss forced to step down

The head of the prison and probation system in England and Wales has been asked to stand down, amid an ongoing crisis in jails.

The Ministry of Justice announced that Michael Spurr will leave his role as chief executive of HM Prison and Probation Service at the end of March 2019.

Mr Spurr has worked in prisons for 35 years and headed the system for nine, first as chief executive of the National Offender Management Service Agency from 2010 and then leader of HMPPS when it was created in April 2017.

His departure comes a month after prisons minister Rory Stewart admitted acute problems with drugs and violence in a number of publicly-run prisons, and said that he would resign if the situation was not improved within a year.

Thousands of prison officers walked out for six hours last week in a protest at “unprecedented violence” in British jails.

It is understood that the decision by MOJ permanent secretary Richard Heaton to ask Mr Spurr to step aside was not sparked by one specific incident, but reflects a desire for fresh leadership to address ongoing problems.

In a statement announcing his departure, Justice Secretary David Gauke said:

“I am extremely grateful to Michael Spurr for his leadership of HMPPS.

“His focus has been unwavering on doing the best for his staff and for victims of crime, on discipline in the prison estate and on caring for and rehabilitating offenders.

“He is an example of the very best of public service and civil service leadership. I look forward to continuing to work closely with Michael into the New Year.”

The process of appointing a successor will begin in October.

RMTTom Eden

More train stikes

The RMT union has called three more strikes on Arriva Rail North in the bitter dispute over the role of guards on trains - on October 6, 13 and 20.

BrexitTom Eden

EU obliterates May's Chequers plan

Leaders of the remaining 27 EU states have agreed that Theresa May’s Chequers blueprint for Brexit will not work, European Council president Donald Tusk has said.

At the end of the two-day informal summit in Salszburg, Mr Tusk said they would decide in October whether there had been sufficient progress in the Brexit talks to call a special summit in November to finalise a deal.

He said:

“Everybody shared the view that while there are positive elements in the Chequers proposal, the suggested framework for economic co-operation will not work, not least because it is undermining the single market.

“We can’t exclude a no deal.

“As you know, I was very, very sad because of Brexit but today I am a little more optimistic when it comes to a positive outcome of our negotiations.

“Unfortunately we cannot at this stage exclude a no deal - it depends on both sides of negotiations.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the EU27 were: “united that, in the matter of the single market, there can be no compromises.

“No-one can belong to the single market if they are not part of the single market.”

Theresa May is currently giving an excruciating press conference...

NorthumbriaTom Eden

See police use new 'DNA-spray'

Watch police using invisible ‘DNA spray’ to crack down on anti-social and criminal motorbike riders:

Communities have been “plagued” by motorbikes ridden dangerously in residential areas and off road, but now officers will have a way to identify the bikes being used and catch the culprits.

Detectives are now trailing a new DNA-spray scheme across Sunderland and South Tyneside that will see officers armed with canisters to spray on riders and their bikes.

The water-based liquid is harmless, completely invisible, but almost impossible to get off clothes and belongings.

When ultra-violet light is shone on something or someone sprayed by the officer’s jet - its unique signature is revealed and identifies which canister it was fired from.

The small, handheld spray shoots jets of the liquid for more than five metres and the pilot scheme has been jointly funded by Sunderland and South Tyneside councils and - if successful - will be rolled out across the rest of Northumbria Police’s force area.